Hi all,
While looking for an explanation of the proverb وافق شن طبقه (mentioned in this thread) I found some amusing proverbs, and thought I'd share them with you.
If any of you can add to this thread -both in fusHa or colloquial-, maybe we can make a culturally interesting thread (what do you think?)

Here's the first one I chose, I liked it because it sounded strange and bit "cute" too :

Yes, excellent idea, Cherine. In fact I have been wanting to start an Arabic proverbs thread, but never got around to it.

Here are two of my favorites that I use often:

I like this one because it is short and simple, but has a deep meaning, that needs to be expressed by a long sentence in English in order to get the full meaning:لقد اعذر من انذر
laqad 2a3zara man anzar (A mix of FusHa and Egyptian pronunciation)
Literally: He who warns is excused
Meaning: He who gives you time to mend your ways by giving a warning has every right to act against you if you do not act accordingly.

The proverb literally means that a man can be humiliated if he gets out of his home, (but can be sure to preserve his dignity or pride as long as he is in his own house). In other words, this proverbs means that a man's home is his castle, and it can be equal to the spanish proverb ''mientras en mi casa estoy, rey me soy''

Thank you all for sharing this is getting good.
Ayed and Zahra, could you please give us more than just the text of the proverb; like : its story, its meaning, its origin, were is it used.... This would enrich the thread further.
Thanks again for everyone
Cherine

Yes Sofia, thanks for adding the translation, I was going to do it
By the way, this proverb is also widely used in Egypt, but we add an article to the monkey القرد فى عين أمه غزال
It's used with people who insist on ignore the bad things in the person they love

A somehow contrary proverb, were monkeys are used too is : يا واخدة القرد على ماله، يروح المال ويبقَى القرد على حاله a very wise proverb that says : you who marry a monkey (a very bad or ugly reason) for his money, the money can be gone/lost but the monkey will remain what he is.

Here are some more proverbs that I like. Hopefully they will be agreeable to all sensibilities.
If anyone would like to add, clarify, or correct something, please do.

يعمل من الحبة قبة*Transliteration: yi3mil min il-7abba 2ubba
Literal English translation: he makes from a seed a dome.
andزوبعة في فنجان
Transliteration: zawba3atun fii finjaanin
Literal English translation: A storm in a teacup.
Meaning: Making much fuss about something little; as Shakespeare might say, “Much ado about nothing.”
Equivalent English proverb: making a mountain out of a molehill (literal of first one); a storm in a teacup (literal of the second one)

ما كل ما يلمع ذهبا
Transliteration: maa kull ma yalma3u dhahaban
Literal English translation: not all that glitters is gold
Meaning: This means that something my not be as valuable as it first appears
Equivalent English proverb: all is not gold that glitters (literal of the Arabic)

ذئب في ثوب حمل
Transliteration: dhi2bun fii thawbi 7amal
Literal English translation: a wolf in lamb’s clothing
Meaning: Something that seems harmless, but is actually dangerous. Be careful because appearances are not always what they seem in the sense
Equivalent English proverb: A wolf in sheep’s clothing (literal); an iron fist in a velvet glove (but this is more accurately something that is strong/powerful on the inside, but beautiful/aesthetically pleasing on the outside; gentle demeanor or persona concealing a dogmatic personality).

A related proverb is:

تحت السواهى دواهى*Transliteration: taHt is-sawaahi dawaahi
Literal English translation: Under the innocent looking are disasters/misfortunes.
Meaning: Appearances are not always what they seem; don’t be fooled by appearances.
Equivalent English proverb: Still waters run deep.

إللي تزرعه تحصده*Transliteration: illi tizra3u tuHSudu
Literal English translation: what you sow, you harvest/reap.
Meaning: (1) related to the karma idea of whatever you do will come back onto you. (2)You will bear the consequences of your actions.
Equivalent English proverbs: As you sow, so shall you reap; what goes up must come down; what comes around goes around.

*I know these are used in Egypt. The other ones I am not sure, but I imagine all Arabic speakers would understand the intended meanings.

Yes, of course. I was just showing the literalness of the proverb. I suggested that as an English equivalent of the proverb. I combined the first two proverbs as they have similar meanings but it might have been better to separate them out.

Here are more proverbs:البعيد عن العين بعيد عن القلب (el-be'eed an el'een, be'eed an el alb)- Colloquial Egyptian pronounciation.
This proverb literally means'' out of sight, out of heart'', but I suppose that it has an English equivalent that goes like this ''out of sight, out of mind''.

Frankly Ayed I'm not sure but I think that it may probably mean the same thing, yes.
Actually it was the first time for me to read this word, and this is why I thought I'd share with you as something completely new, and to know if any of you guys have heard it before

This one is interesting because it is pretty much a literal translation of the English, which makes me wonder of the origins. I would be interested to know if this is used in the Arabic world. Hopefully some of the natives here can answer that question.

Another variation of the same proverb :
A3azz mel-weld, weld el-weld أعز مِ الولد وِلْد الولد
It's used by/about grandparents spoiling their grandchildren much more than they did with their own kids (the fathers/mothers of those grand children)

إن تذكر الشيطان يحضر فوراً
in tadhkur ash-shaytaana yaHDur fawran
If you mention the devil, he will promptly appear.

This one is interesting because it is pretty much a literal translation of the English, which makes me wonder of the origins. I would be interested to know if this is used in the Arabic world. Hopefully some of the natives here can answer that question.

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In Saudi, nomadic daily life when we mention a relative or a a friend ,then all of a sudden he appears approaching us , we say in colloquial:Tirri al-Theeb fa 'Ada.طري الذيب فعداWolf was mentioned ,then it came over!

Here's one that's very Egyptian
elly te7sebo moosa yetla3 fara3on اللى تحسبه موسى يطلع فرعون
or -with a little variation of tenses- اللى حسبته موسى طلع فرعون
I think the meaning is clear it's about mis-judging people, you think a guy/girl a good person (moosa) and he/she turns out to be a real bad person (fara3on)

P.S. Of course moosa is the prophet Moses, and fara3on is the Egyptian king (the Pharoh)

Yes this is one proverbe that we learn since our childhood, we must not laugh for no reason.
But does قلة الأدب really translate as rude ?

Now, here's another famous one :
اجرى جرى الوحوش غير رزق لن تحوش
egry gary el-wo7oosh, gheir rez2ak lan t7oosh
It's -to an western eye- a "fatalist" proverb. I'm not sure I can translate it well, but it means that whatever a man does he will only get what he's destined to get.

Yes this is one proverbe that we learn since our childhood, we must not laugh for no reason.
But does قلة الأدب really translate as rude ?

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That's how I usually translate it. I guess you could also use "bad mannered" or "impolite" depending on the context. You're right, the latter two would be better in English translation of this proverb.

Now, here's another famous one :
اجرى جرى الوحوش غير رزق لن تحوش
egry gary el-wo7oosh, gheir rez2ak lan t7oosh
It's -to an western eye- a "fatalist" proverb. I'm not sure I can translate it well, but it means that whatever a man does he will only get what he's destined to get.

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Is it similar to:

ما حدش ياخد إلا نصيبهma-Hadd-ish yaakhud illa naSiibo.
no one takes more than his fate (ordains).

Yes, it's the same.
Slight correction ماحدش بياخد إلا/غير نصيبه
غير is more used with this expression.
Speaking of جرى الوحوش there's an Egyptian movies with that title "gary el-wo7oosh", speaking precisely about this idea : people not satisfied with what they already have in life (which is a lot) and fighting to get more.

Speaking of جرى الوحوش there's an Egyptian movies with that title "gary el-wo7oosh", speaking precisely about this idea : people not satisfied with what they already have in life (which is a lot) and fighting to get more.